Along the Natchez Trace

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Sharing a Slice of Life, School Daze

At sharing a Slice of Life the challenge this week is School Daze (I won't even go there with the play on words you could do with "Daze").

Here is the prompt, in part:

"Well folks, it's September. In some places school started a week or more ago, while in other places school is just about to start....This week, let's relive a pleasant school memory ...Elementary, Jr. High, or High School - they're all open for this prompt. Let's save college for another time."

I have been giving this some thought all week, there are the school dances, Junior and Senior High proms, some great classes and teachers, interesting friends (there was the guy who would hunt rattlers in the swamps and cook and eat them, he was interesting). Riding the bus to and from school. All the stuff of high school memories. But, like hummer at Branching Out Through The Years, I believe my best memories of high school were of marching band.

We practiced early in the AM, got to skip homeroom (well, that is the way I remember it), not a bad thing to have to skip. We marched in parades, of course, but football season, NOW that was special. Cold nights, the band in the stands sitting together, waiting for the team to score so we could play the fight song! Marching down the field after the game IF we won, with our hats on backwards. Eight high steps to the 5 yards, hit that yard line right in the middle. Many of us that marched those 8 to 5 can still hit that 8 to 5 all these years later.

Like hummer, I have the photo of me in my uniform. This was taken in the fall of my senior year, we had BRAND SPANKING NEW uniforms, and let me tell you, we thought we were pretty spiffy, see:

All that said, I was reluctant to post basically what hummer did, until, in my trips down memory lane, I remembered, BAND DAY!!

Oh, yea, now, that was the ultimate fall marching band day trip! It was held at the University of Michigan on a Saturday afternoon, we were the entertainment during half time and I believe we also played the National Anthem for pre-show. I have no idea how many bands were there on any given Band Day, but, there were a bunch of us, lots of teenagers, and all that band energy! It was outstanding, fabulous, fun, and memorable. Here is a photo of the last Band Day I attended, again, in the fall of 1965, ya, I am down there with the Waterford Township High School Marching Band - - - - somewhere!

8 comments:

Oh, gosh, you are so right - band memories are the best. And sitting, freezing, in the bleachers - I can still remember almost every detail: trying to wrap ourselves in blankets and still be able to play (with numb fingers, of course). Preparing for half-time as though it were some huge competition. The picture of band day is awesome, a fabulous patchwork. I am getting so nostalgic ... thanks for the memories!

Okay, I am slow getting here. Thanks for the shout out, but you brought back some memories for me. We had a Band Day at Oklahoma Univirsity too. I wonder if it was a 60's thing. I don't remember it for my kids. Thanks for the memory jogger.!

Band! I was in the band as well. We marched in a few parades and played the football games. We didn't march in formation on the field except when I was a freshman and we didn't have very great uniforms, but it was extremely FUN and where I met most of my good friends.

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